New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is escalating his campaign against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now demanding that the federal government arrest him if he enters the United States.
Mamdani previously told the New York Times he was exploring local options to detain Netanyahu, but his law department informed him he lacks the authority to arrest a foreign leader.
In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, charging him with war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict.
On Tuesday, Mamdani released a video statement calling Netanyahu a "war criminal" and "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."
He insisted the federal government execute the ICC warrant, stating Netanyahu "is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."
Netanyahu is scheduled to attend the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in Manhattan this September.
